Coffee Table Upcycled into Kids Chalkboard Painted Table

Hello DIY’ers! It’s time yet again for a really cool and fun DIY project. Today we are heading back into my daughter’s playroom and we are adding more turquoise to the room but in a very play inspired and functional way. We are going to create a chalkboard table for her so that she can create new art every single day.

What I love about this table is that it has some really feminine curves and lines and is very petite in size, so it’s perfect for a 2 year old. I grabbed this coffee table up for $20 off of a local Facebook yard sale page (If you don’t know what these are, you must google them because you are missing out on some deals!). It came from an estate sale of an elderly woman and I have to share one rather strange find about the table. As I was cleaning it up and prepping it for paint, I found on the underside a mounted gun holster! Go little old ladies!

All of the supplies used in this project are listed at the bottom of this page.

The first thing I did was whip up a batch of my homemade chalkpaint in my turquoise paint that I’ve been using on a few projects in the playroom including this ugly as heck coffee table turned entertainment center. You could also use pre-made chalk paint from Annie Sloan or other brand. I did a quick coat of this chalky turquoise all over the legs and edges of the table. I like to use a big round brush when painting with chalk paint and furniture with details like this table has so that I can easily get into every nook and cranny.

I gave the legs a clear wax and buff after several hours of the paint drying. Once I was done with the legs, I went ahead and primed the top of the table with some Bulls Eye white primer. I’ve read that some people use the chalk paint without priming but my table top was really slick and I was nervous about the chalkboard paint not sticking, so I primed to be on the safe side.

After you are done priming you want to start with your first coat of chalkboard paint. I highly recommend using a very smooth roller like the one I’m showing here. For the first coat, I was all about the coverage, making sure that I gave it a nice smooth layer but I didn’t worry to much about lines. Be sure to let the first coat dry completely before moving on to the second.

On the second coat, I went a little thicker on the chalkboard paint and worked in straight lines up and down the length of the coffee table to keep it smooth and visible lines to a minimum. A second coat really does make a huge difference so don’t be discouraged after your first one. It looks horrid!

Once you wait the recommended time you want to make sure to season your chalkboard before letting the little ones create any colorful drawings. This was easy by simply rubbing the side of a piece of chalk over the entire surface area of the table and then erasing.

For erasing your seasoned chalkboard and future artwork from your kids, I have found that day to day use of her playing requires nothing more than some soft cloths. Since I do a lot of other projects that require buffing of waxes and other things, I have a huge stock pile of white rags. I keep a few in a basket under her table and it does the job. Of course, that does leave a slight residue on the chalkboard, just like you remember in school. When the residue becomes an issue or super messy then we do a deeper cleaning of the chalkboard to get rid of the chalk residue with those same white cloths and some warm water. Just lightly damp the cloth with clean warm water and wipe across it once. Then rinse the rag again and repeat. Just be sure you season your board again if you want an easier time of erasing it until your next major cleaning.

This is a favorite with my daughter. She uses it practically every single day and I think it really lets her creativity come out.

If you decide to give this project a try, be sure to come back and share your pictures with us or tag us on Facebook so we can see your creative work!

About Misty Spears

I absolutely love all things DIY, especially when it comes to decorating my own home. I’m a thrift store junkie and my head just explodes with ideas to repurpose old junk into something practical and beautiful when I come across that perfect treasure. I’m a wood furniture rebel and try to paint every surface I can to bring color into my life. My life revolves around my family and enjoying every moment that life serves up to me. You can connect with me on Twitter @diyhomeinterior, Instagram @mistyspears and see my pins on Pinterest for a sneak peak into all the DIY projects I am working on and crazy life happenings.

Thanks Bonnie! Well, she had a regular chalkboard on an easel but during our move last year it busted and she was devestated. I wanted to get her a new one, but those things are pricey to get a good one. I turned to Pinterest of course and started seeing that people were putting chalkboards onto everything…toyboxes, filing cabinets, sides of dressers, etc. I saw some that had done table tops as well, so hey why not a coffee table? I vaguely remember a red one on Pinterest that someone had did and I knew I could do my turquoise version pretty easily. The great thing is it’s fun for her to play with but we also do it for learning activities like writing letters and numbers and tracing our hands and feet. It’s a great toy and a learning center.

What a fab idea Misty! I love the shape of the table legs too. I’ll be honest I’m almost sobbing it isn’t restored back to a coffee table. I’m sure your daughter will love the chalkboard table for years to come

hahaha I knew someone would say that! Honestly, if she got older and we still have this, I’m sure it could be stripped off easily and restored…but I’d rather see her keep it and use it as a chalkboard table for her own kids…that or we will keep it at Grandma’s lol

Oh, what a great idea! I must share this with my daughter, because she was just telling me yesterday that she wishes they had a paved driveway so my 2 1/2 y.o. granddaughter could draw on it with chalk!